


An Ounce of Levity

by Deus_Ex_Ash



Series: Made In Manchester [1]
Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, How Do I Tag, Implied Relationship, M/M, Matt Is Legally Blind, Matt Is Salty AF, Mello Fucked Up, Minor Matt | Mail Jeevas/Mello | Mihael Keehl, Swearing, so much swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 17:14:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11741577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deus_Ex_Ash/pseuds/Deus_Ex_Ash
Summary: Matt asked Mello to be his sighted guide at Wammy's House. So when Mello left, Matt was royally screwed. Naturally, he's rightfully upset about it.





	An Ounce of Levity

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of things I'd like to clarify. 
> 
> I personally headcanon that Matt Is legally blind. And that he wears tinted prescription goggles so he doesn't damage his eyes while staring at computer screens all day.
> 
> A sighted guide is a person (typically a close friend or family member) that helps guide a blind person in areas they are unfamiliar with. This is done by having them hold onto the back of their sighted guide's arm and walking a step behind them. Using subtle arm movements and the occasional verbal cue, a blind person can get around quite effectively with the assistance of a sighted guide.
> 
> I myself am blind. This story is mostly me projecting so hard that you could point me at a wall and show off PowerPoint presentations.
> 
> With all that said, PLEASE ENJOY!

When Matt asked Mello to be his sighted guide at Wammy’s, he wasn't doing it for his own amusement. No, his blind ass actually needed Mello’s help getting around. Especially when they went outside anywhere. It had been a horribly demeaning experience but it had worked. It have occasionally even been pleasant.

And then Mello had decided to something shitty. Several shitty things in fact; a cock-up cascade if you will. This wasn't even a “I may have fucked up a teensy bit” kind of thing. No! This was douchebaggery that Matt didn't even know Mello was capable of.

First, Mello didn't tell him about L. He'd come back to their shared room after a meeting with Roger with a metaphorical stick up his ass, more so than he usually did anyway. He'd refused to tell Matt anything about it, saying it wasn't quote “any of his damn business”. It was only much later that Matt found out (through Near of all people) that L had died. That had been extremely insulting, finding out something like that from someone who didn't even like the guy all that much.

Then, Mello had left his ass high and dry. Matt had gotten used to being one step behind Mello. It was annoying as fuck, but he'd gotten comfortable with it. Then Mello just up and left, without a fucking word. It had taken Matt four years,  _ four goddamn years,  _ to get comfortable moving around on his own again.

And then, just as Matt had accepted the fact that Mello was well and truly gone, Mello called him. Matt had a disposable cell phone, all Wammy kids did, for emergency use only. Apparently Mello had remembered the number after four years and decided to call him up. Why? Matt had no fucking idea but he'd be damned if he wasn't gonna find out. It was an opportunity to put a bullet in Mello’s head, if nothing else.

Mello had taken temporary shelter in New York, at least that's what he'd been told. That made sense to Matt, New York was a decently large state with plenty of dark alleys and greasy tunnels for Mello to disappear into. He'd asked Matt to meet him in one of the parking garages  by LaGuardia. The area was crawling with passenger traffic which meant they would have to keep a low profile. Matt figured Mello had done this on purpose, a way to keep Matt from killing him on sight. Mello had specified the meeting place so when Matt had landed in New York, it would take him long to find Mello. And it didn't. Matt found Mello in the exact spot he'd specified, leaning up against the trunk of a no doubt stolen car.

Mello had grown significantly. He had an inch or two on Matt now and he'd put on a little muscle mass. He still looked kinda scrawny but at least now it looked intentional. The leather was new and Matt had to acknowledge that Mello looked good in it. Even if it did make him look like a Barbie doll from Bizarro World.

“Hey,” Mello greeted. His head was bent forward, obscuring most of his face.

“Hey?!?” Matt felt four years of repressed anger bubble over the surface at once. “You've been gone for four fucking years and all you have to say to me is ‘Hey’!”

Mello looked up at Matt and for the first time, and Matt saw the vicious burn that covered half his face. Matt couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. Karma was real after all.

“If that's all I wanted to say to you Matt, I wouldn't have made you come down. Now get in the fucking car.” Mello jammed his thumb at the vehicle behind him.

Any good humor that Matt had at seeing Mello’s recent disfigurement had faded away. Leaving behind a fury much colder than before. He walked around to the other side of the car and got inside. He made sure to hit Mello hard with his laptop bag as he did so. Mello got in the driver’s seat beside him but did not start the car. 

They sat in silence for several minutes before Mello spoke. “Look Matt, I'm sorry about leaving Wammy’s okay-”

“If you were sorry about it, you wouldn’t have done it in the first place. “ Matt quipped.

Mello turned the full power of his temper in Matt then. “What the fuck was I supposed to do, huh? L was dead! I couldn’t stay!”

“So you ran away like a fucking child. I had to re-learn how to get around Wammy’s house. By myself. Do you know how humiliating that is, having to learn how to get around a place you've lived your whole life?” Matt turned his body to face Mello so that he could look him in the face. So that he could look at his ruined face with his ruined eyes. They stared at each other in tense silence, neither wanting to give the other an ounce of levity. But eventually, somebody would crack.

Mello dropped his gaze first. “Look Matt, I didn't come here to fight with you.”

“I did.” Matt spat.

“I came down here to ask for your help. I'd like to get a leg up on Near. So I need someone who specializes in surveillance and tactical espionage. With you, I'd have both.”

The cold fury was back. Mello didn't wanna apologize. He wanted to use Matt. Matt was a tool to him. He lashed out with a decisive blow to Mello’s ego. “You wouldn't get a leg up on Near even if I did help you. You’d be on level ground with him at, best.”

To Matt’s intense delight, Mello’s body went rigid.  “What're you talking about?”

“Before L died,” Matt began. “I managed  to crack his firewall and make off with a bit of information on the Kira case. And I gave it to Near.”

“Why the fuck would you do that?” Mello’s voice was dangerously close to cracking with rage. Good.

“Near asked if I had anything on Kira. I did. So I gave it to him.” Matt didn't mention that he’d only done that to get information about why Mello had left. Mello didn't need to know that.

“You bastard!” Mello’s voice did crack with rage that time. Excellent.

Matt deliberately kept his voice  icey. “You lost any right to my loyalty when you left me to fend for myself. Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna try and book a flight outta here.” 

Matt made a move to open the door but Mello moved to stop him. He grabbed Matt by his collar and slammed his mouth to his. 

This wasn't a spur of hot blooded passion on Mello’s part. No, this was cold hard manipulation. Mello was hot and he and Matt knew it. This was just another cheap trick to get Matt to stay.

And Matt’d be damned if that'd been what kept him there. As much as he d loathed to admit it, Mello had a certain way about him that still held Matt’s attention four years later. He was still pissed though, and Matt seriously doubted he'd ever get over what Mello had put him through. Matt did want  to stay but he had to clarify something with Mello first.

He threaded his fingers through Mello’s hair and yanked his head back. Matt didn't care if it hurt, Hell he hoped it had. “Listen motherfucker, I'll help you catch Kira. But because I wanna stick it to the guy that killed my mentor. I don't give a fuck about you.”

Mello looked a bit put out that Matt hadn't put out but did not push the matter further. He leaned away from him and started up the car. They drove out of the parking garage in determined silence, neither willing to give the other an ounce of levity. 


End file.
